UK trying to enforce "Online Safety Act" against US internet site 4Chan

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Illegal? More than likely; but anyone who would pick a pick with those people is a fool. Every bureaucrat and minister associated with this action is going to have the most intimate details of their lives laid out on the internet for all the world to see.







https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/ofcom-issues-4chan-a-provisional-notice-under-online-safety-act

[Texacon]

Oh this should be interesting.

KC

[SVPete]

The UK gooberment is using the euphemistically-named "Online Safety Act" to suppress facts and factual pictures the gooberment does not want seen or known. Since 4Chan has no assets in the UK, either the UK gooberment will have to let this action be an abundantly mocked empty gesture, or the UK gooberment will have to seek the cooperation of a US government supportive of free speech ... good luck with that.

[enslaved1]

There's been a recent surge in "protecting children online" stuff going on, the UK being the most far reaching, but Visa and Mastercard have been getting into the act telling online game stores they don't want their services used to buy questionable games.  Focusing on adult games right now, but we know how slippery slopes work.

Said it before, I'll say it again, porn is bad for the mind, body and soul, especially for kids, but government rules are not the answer to the issue, and lead to other problems.  Plus in modern times, there's a million workarounds, unless someone goes full Great Firewall of China, then there are still workarounds, but the consequences when you get caught slow down the traffic. 

[SVPete]

Tulsi Stares Down UK, Scoring Another Big Win for American Consumers

https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2025/08/20/tulsi-stares-down-uk-in-another-big-win-for-american-consumers-n4942872

I reported earlier this week that 4chan's notorious internet pranksters hired a couple of big-name law firms, after Britain threatened the American-based company with a £20,000 fine, followed by hefty daily fines, if the group failed to impose Britain's censorship rules on 4chan's users everywhere in the world — including in the U.S.

4chan's representation called the actions of Britain's Office of Communications (Ofcom) an "illegal campaign of harassment against American technology firms."

But Britain's censorious Online "Safety" Act of 2023 isn't the only foreign threat to American freedoms. They also have their Orwell-inspired Investigatory Powers Act, which pitted His Majesty's Craptaculent Government up against one of the biggest companies in the world: Apple.

Back in February, Britain ordered Apple to create a backdoor in its iPhone operating system, allowing British authorities to snoop on the entire contents of anyone's iPhone, anywhere in the world — without a warrant, without notification, without nothin'.
...
Trump sicced Tulsi on the Brits. Wisely, after months of wrangling behind closed doors, the Brits finally caved.
...
"Over the past few months, I’ve been working closely with our partners in the U.K., alongside POTUS and VPOTUS," Gabbard posted to X yesterday, "to ensure Americans' private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected."

"As a result, the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a 'back door' that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties."

IMO, the chances Kammie would have backed Apple are approximately zero; OTOH, I think the chances Kammie would have turned the US government against Apple are non-zero, possibly great.